Harden out, Halsey in

Rich Harden didn’t throw a side session Sunday at Texas, opting to throw 55 pitches of long toss and flat-ground work, instead. That means that Harden, who came out of his last start with shoulder stiffness, won’t start Tuesday at Baltimore.

It’s not official yet, but lefty Brad Halsey, held out of Triple-A Sacramento’s scheduled game Saturday night (before it was rained out), will go instead of Harden.

This was, essentially, Harden’s call, and considering his injury history – and the fact that there’s some thought he might have been rushed back last June when he sprained his elbow ligament after just four innings in his first start back after missing time with a torn back muscles – the decision wasn’t all that surprising. He’s understandably cautious.

“I didn’t want to miss any starts,” Harden said when he came off the field before Sunday’s game. “But at least this is something minor. And missing a start or two is a little different than missing six or seven weeks.”